Last Days Living

I have shared with you my belief that we are living in the last days. From an eschatological standpoint, the world is certainly closer (at least by 2,000 years) to the Lord’s return than when Christ and the writers of the New Testament first began teaching about it. There are no outstanding prophecies that must be fulfilled before the great snatching away of believers to “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) can occur.  It could happen before you finish listening to this message.

Yet, even if Jesus’ return is still thousands of years away, you and I are certainly living in our “last days.” In 30, 40, or 50 years most of you listening to this message will have died. Stop for a moment and do the math. Even if you live beyond the average life span to the age of 80 or even 90, go ahead and subtract your current age from 80 and see how many years you have left.  

What if those remaining years pass as quickly as this last year? Perhaps you can now understand my assertion that you and I are living in our last days. Knowing that our days on earth are numbered and that we are headed for truly “greener pasture,” to borrow from the late philosopher Francis Schaefer, “How should we then live?” 

Many of Paul’s letters such as 1 and 2 Thessalonians dealt with the theme of “last days living.”  Some of the apostle’s detractors both then and now try to discredit his writings by pointing out Paul’s mistaken belief that the Lord would return in his lifetime.   

Paul had done the math. If there is a fixed date on God’s calendar for His Son’s return, then our ultimate deliverance (or as he terms it, “salvation”) is closer today than it was when we were first saved, or even than it was this time yesterday. Imagine what the apostle would say if he were with us today. “Wake up and wipe the sleep away from your eyes. If the Lord’s return was close 2,000 years ago when I wrote to the Christians in Rome, think how much closer it is today!”

How should we conduct our lives knowing that the end is near, whether it is the end of the age or the end of our life? Hopeful, courageous, and productive. 

After spending an entire chapter painting a vivid picture of the kind of future that awaits Christians beyond the grave, Paul closes his discussion with a dose of practical exhortation: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

As we watch the last glimmer of twilight fade to darkness in our culture, this single verse provides a needed roadmap for last days living, utilizing three simple commands.

1. Be Hopeful

Paul encourages us to be “steadfast” (hedraios). The Greek word means “to be seated, firmly situated, secure.” The Hebrew word “security” comes from a root word that means “leisure.”   Eugene Peterson describes the kind of security God offers as “the relaxed stance of one who knows that everything is all right because God is over us, with us, and for us in Jesus Christ.” (Peterson, A Long Obedience, p. 52). 

Don’t misunderstand what Paul is saying. He is not suggesting that we be lackadaisical in our attitude toward life. By “relaxed” or “settled,” the Word of God is referring to our inner emotions.  In spite of the inevitable and increasing opposition we can expect in these last days, we can be settled in our spirits and relaxed in our stance, knowing that God is over us and that He is coming for us.  

The Bible calls the certainty of our rescue from this doomed planet “the blessed hope” . . . looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13).

The only hope that can keep us from being overwhelmed by the difficulties in this world is the knowledge that our Savior will one day deliver us to a better world. But the apostle says that we should not be surprised when people are attracted to us because of “the hope” that is in us, regardless of the negative circumstances happening around us. That is why it is imperative that we refuse to allow our emotions to be overwhelmed by threatening world events. Instead, we should remember that these increasingly dark days are a sign that our departure time for a better world is that much closer.  And the hope that such a realization produces will act as a magnet, drawing unbelievers toward us, and more importantly, toward our message.

2. Be Courageous

Compromise is the spirit of our age. After all, if there are no absolute truths that govern our world, shouldn’t we be willing to engage in a little give and take with our beliefs?  Why not sit down in an open dialogue with those who don’t share our convictions and be willing to alter our position if they will alter theirs in return? Because the apostle Paul says, those of us who are beacons of God’s truth need to act like a lighthouse that cannot and will not be moved. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable…” (1 Corinthians 15:58a).

When our emotions are settled and at ease (“steadfast”) by the knowledge that our departure is growing closer, we have every reason to courageously stand firm in our convictions.   

3. Be Productive

Paul closes his three-point admonition for last days living by encouraging the Corinthians to be “always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).  

The word translated “abounding” (perisseuo) pictures a river that overflows its banks. To “abound” means to exceed the boundaries or requirements by doing more than what is expected. The apostle is saying that the knowledge of Christ’s imminent return and our resurrection should motivate us to turn on the afterburners in our work for God.

If you are like me, your most productive day at work all year is the day before you leave on vacation. As departure time approaches, I feel pressed to make sure that I plan for every possible contingency while I’m away. The extra motivation that comes from knowing two weeks of leisure are just around the corner gives me the energy to plow through the piles of paper on my desk that have been mounting for days. There is something about an upcoming journey that necessitates and motivates us to work especially hard.

The certainty that we are living in America’s last days (or, at least, our last days) should not paralyze us with fear but energize us to pour our time and resources into expanding God’s kingdom.   

God has left you here at this critical time in history for a greater purpose than simply eking out a living and trying to survive the unexpected challenges life throws at you every day.    

He has enlisted you to become part of an offensive force in this world to stand up and push back against evil and illuminate the world with the eternal light of Jesus Christ. As you see the twilight turning to darkness, the need to do both has never been greater.